


Forcing the Deal

by Natashasolten



Category: Wiseguy
Genre: Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Post Steelgrave arc, Slash, slight a/u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 11:23:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/661422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natashasolten/pseuds/Natashasolten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An all-character story dealing with the reunion/reconciliation of Sonny and Vinnie after Sonny's suicide attempt, along with the possible consequences of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forcing the Deal

Forcing the Deal

by

Natasha Solten

 

“But I will go down  
with this ship  
and I won’t put  
my hands up and surrender…”

White Flag, Dido

*

I. Frank

 

As he entered his hotel room, the door stuck. Frank kicked at it and it swung open hard and hit the wall like thunder.

“Damn!” He threw his briefcase on the bed and shrugged out of his jacket. Those CIA goons he’d met with this afternoon exceeded his expectations of stupid. Implying that Mel Profitt was involved with underground Nazi’s was not only ridiculous but insane. Now they wanted to take over the case. And to top it all off, Vinnie was supposed to be there at the meeting but had not shown up. All of it was driving Frank mad.

Eyeing the mini-bar, he decided it was time for a drink. If the OCB was paying, he could damn well drink every tiny bottle of booze if he wanted to. And then request more.

Frank McPike was having a shitty day. Pretty much he rated most of his days that way. For the past year and a half he’d lived a stressful, on-edge life ever since he’d become the field supervisor of one Vincent Terranova.

It wasn’t that Vinnie was incompetent or anything like that. The fact was, Vinnie was the best field agent he’d ever known. That was why there was so much stress. Vinnie took the hardest jobs, the most dangerous jobs. He was always either about to be in immediate peril, in immediate peril, or miraculously walking away from immediate peril.

Right now, this Mel Profitt thing was pretty much always “immediate peril.” Mel wasn’t anything like Vinnie’s first job at all. He was truly insane, not to mention a heroin addict. At least Sonny Steelgrave, the man Vinnie had gotten close to on his first assignment, had had rules concerning his own conduct, and Vinnie had been so good at his job in that camp that he’d pretty much assured himself of Steelgrave’s friendship, loyalty and trust. Whatever Vinnie had done to win over that guy, Frank himself could not deny being impressed. When they were on that case, Frank didn’t go to bed every night worrying about Steelgrave turning on his field agent.

With Mel Profitt it was a whole different game. He was sleazy, unpredictable at best, prone to violent tantrums and seemingly incapable of empathy. An insanity that great combined with an intellect to match Vinnie’s was as dangerous as a bomb with an invisible timer. It could go off at any moment.

And then there was Vinnie, perfectly trained, more than capable of course, but still shaken from his Steelgrave ordeal. Sometimes Vinnie would be out of touch for days. Frank hated it. It was their habit on their first case to connect once a day, if not one on one than through the Lifeguard. But now, Vinnie was either unable to call in as often as Frank requested, or maybe just getting lax. So Frank worried more and more. Which led to tension, which led to stress which led to…Lillah.

Despite being mostly estranged from his wife Jenny, the guilt of that momentary indiscretion consumed him. He didn’t regret it. Lillah was amazing, wonderful, smart and so good to him. And she smelled incredible! His body reacted to just that simple memory. But the guilt was something he could not avoid. He’d never cheated on Jenny before. Never. What this job was doing to him!

So, yes, it had been a shitty day.

He opened a tiny bottle of Jack Daniels and poured it into a glass. Sitting on the side of his bed, he put the glass on the nightstand, and took off his glasses. As he was about to relax, the phone rang.

Hoping it was Vinnie, Frank found himself talking instead to Brock Smith, an agent at their home offices in New York. Brock and Frank had rarely spoken, but Frank knew he was the supervisor of an agent who watched Steelgrave now. There wasn’t much to see. Sonny’s recuperation from electric shock had taken almost two months. He was no longer the big fish every law enforcement agency wanted to catch. He’d lost his power in the mob as far as intel could see. Even with Patrice gone, it didn’t matter. Sonny had been hospitalized and in rehab for too long to continue running anything. Legally, he’d slid on the murder of Patrice when somehow, mysteriously, the tape of the bachelor party had been compromised. The tape still existed, but its quality was of no use, mostly snow, and shadowy figures in the background. It was obvious that tampering had been done, but no one ever found out how…or who.

But still, since the bachelor party ordeal and mass arrests, Steelgrave had lost most of his businesses in lawsuits and mafia-organized repossessions and government seizure, yet surprisingly his casino stayed afloat. OCB had gone over and over the books. There had been no indiscretions there. The casino had been run legally, a legit business with above-board books that painstakingly showed no misuse of funds, no wrong-doing, no shady activity.

When Steelgrave returned to the “real world” that was the home he went to.

Brock had an agent in a low-level position at the Royal Diamond keeping tabs on Sonny but more than that Frank didn’t care. He was done with that job. He’d moved on.

But now it seemed that job was coming back to haunt him. On top of all his current stress, what Brock told him was the last thing he wanted to hear.

“I don’t know if this means anything to you, but I felt that you should know. So far this is off the books. But my guy reports that he’s seen Terranova at the Royal Diamond.”

“What?” Frank and Vinnie were in Vancouver. It had to be a mistake.

“It was one time,” Brock added. “That’s what he saw. There could be more times than that. We don’t know.”

Frank shook his head as if to clear it. This made no sense. “That’s impossible. Vinnie’s here with me. On a job. He’s deep under, Brock.”

“Just telling you what I know, Frank. As a friend.”

“Is your guy sure? Maybe he thought he saw Vinnie…”

“He’s sure, Frank. I wouldn’t call you if I wasn’t sure. I’ve left it off my reports. For now. I thought maybe you had him doing more stuff for that case? Or maybe the case you’re on has some connection to Atlantic City?”

“Thanks,” Frank mumbled. “I appreciate the information. Uh, could you keep this to yourself for now?”

“Of course. But why would Terranova…?”

“I’m swamped, Brock,” Frank interrupted. “I gotta run.”

He hung up quickly, then dialed the Lifeguard.

“Terranova Hardware.”

Frank gave his code number. Then said, “Dan, I gotta meet with Vince. He didn’t show today. You hear from him?”

“Just this morning. I tried to reach you. He said he was tied up. Said to tell you…”

“Mel’s got him jumping through hoops, eh?”

“Pretty much. He said he can’t get away and that he’ll call back in two days. I’ll set up a meet for you two then. You okay, Frank?”

Frank sighed. “Just the job, Dan. This one’s high level stress.”

“Yeah, Profitt’s a creep but you know Vinnie can take care of himself.”

“Yeah.” Then he added, not trying to hide his sarcasm, “He’s the best all right.”

 

*

II. Sonny

Sonny looked up from the TV as the door to his suite chimed. Who would be ringing him at this hour? It was well past nine. Most nights he stayed to himself. He was still recuperating from his long hospital stay and rehab. Still trying to get all his strength back. With the great staff he had, the casino ran just fine without him. So what would anybody need with him right now?

Wrapping his robe tighter about his body, tightening the belt, he went to the door and opened it.

He froze, stopped breathing. It felt like his heart had momentarily ceased beating. Finally he blinked. Blinked again. And still he wasn’t completely sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

The man’s silky dark hair looked a bit wind-scrambled. His jaw was shaded by a scant day’s growth of beard. The wide blue eyes flickered with a depthless, unnamable sadness that Sonny had seen a few times in the past. It was a look he had hoped never to see again.

Dressed impeccably in a black suit Sonny had never seen him in before, complete with matching blue tie, scarf, handkerchief, it looked like this man had been doing well for himself. Or maybe he was just on another job.

Sonny opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out. Which was truly odd because when was Sonny ever at a loss for words? At first he felt only annoyance. The emotion evolved rapidly from that to one of outrage, then a strange sort of slicing panic. The pain of adrenalin went straight to his heart producing a burning angina. One of the by-products of electric shock. He bit his lower lip hard, clenched his fists, but still his body started to shake. 

And that was another oddity. Sonny didn’t panic. That was not his way. Not until…that last fateful day. When the Rialto door came down. When everything seemed to fall away and Vinnie’s gaze went from imploring to desperate to scared. That fateful day…when Sonny had tried to kill himself.

He hadn’t seen Vincent Terranova since.

Vinnie stepped forward across the threshold. “I know I shouldn’t...” He reached for Sonny’s fist, enclosing his fingers around it. “… be here.” Moved closer. “I tried to stay away.”

Sonny tried to step back, clamping down on the pain in his chest. He gasped slightly, saw Vinnie’s eyes narrow in reaction. He still couldn’t find his voice.

But Vinnie just kept coming closer. Closer.

Dazed, he realized Vinnie was all the way in the room now. The door was closing behind him. And his palm curved around Sonny’s fist, the long fingers encircling his wrist.

He took a deep breath as the pain started to subside.

Vinnie’s hand was cold. It almost felt like an invasion, that touch. Almost.

Voice just above a whisper, Vinnie said, “I decided I’m not going to stay away. I don’t care what anyone says…”

Sonny swallowed hard, then said coolly, pulling back, “Don’t I get a voice in this?”

Vinnie moved toward him, as Sonny stepped back, not allowing any space to come back between them. His answer was firm and simple. “No.”

The eyes scintillated with moisture. Pain. Grief. Hope bereft. But his actions reflected a different internal landscape.

Sonny said, “I don’t want…”

“Shut up,” Vinnie interrupted. He pulled him forward, hard. His strength overwhelmed Sonny.

And on top of that Sonny’s body would not cooperate. He wanted to pull away. His body didn’t. “You have to go,” he hissed. But the fluttering in his stomach had already started.

“Later,” Vinnie replied, pulling him down the hall. 

Sonny’s body followed with a remarkable lack of protest. His mind grimaced. His skin tingled.

This was a government agent. This was a man who’d lied like no one’s business. This was the man who’d broken his heart.

Damn, he’d missed him.

He tried to focus only on anger. But they were in the bedroom too fast for that and everything was swirling in an impossible-to-resist combination of bed, Vinnie, longing.

Well, fuck.

Vinnie was already shrugging out of his jacket, his shoes…and everything else. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Sonny forward, tugging the belt, parting the robe.

Sonny felt the garment slide from his shoulders, heard a rustle as it fell to the floor.

Everything became exposed far too quickly, a desperation, a longing, a desire Sonny could never hide before he found out Vinnie was an agent…and after. Even now there was no room for denial. Vinnie’s hands gripped smooth and possessive on his hips. Vinnie’s head lowered. He felt the heat. The wet. Vinnie could arouse him like no one else.

Sonny’s knees wanted to crumple. He placed his hands on Vinnie’s shoulders for support and couldn’t stop gasping. That mouth was pure gold on him. Heaven. It felt like it was sucking at the very essence of his being.

After a minute, Vinnie let up, slid back onto the bed. His hands urged Sonny down with him. Vinnie spread his legs and Sonny found himself lying between them. Automatically his lips found Vinnie’s. Automatically the world began to spin faster.

Right now he hated that he still loved Vinnie. His chest began to ache again. He wanted to just get up and leave. But then again he didn’t want to do that at all.

He let up for one moment, cursed under his breath and reached into his bedside drawer.

It seemed that even before the lube touched Vinnie’s entrance, Vinnie was ready. He slicked him up quickly, making sure he was fully prepared, then pushed himself against the moist opening. Vinnie’s body came up invitingly, drawing him in. It was hot. It was home.

He started to move but suddenly Vinnie’s arms clamped tightly around his shoulders, hugging. The embrace was so close Sonny couldn’t move. He didn’t try. He stayed very still. Vinnie’s breath came in and out, harsh in his ear. Still encased by Vinnie’s body, Vinnie’s arms and legs, Sonny couldn’t thrust; he finally just let himself relax. His head now rested against Vinnie’s shoulder. He could see him in profile, the firm jaw, the thick, dark locks of hair that gently swept one ear, black eyelashes fluttering and damp as tears rolled smoothly down one temple. Vinnie shuddered. Muscles gripped Sonny’s cock. The arms held him tight. Tighter. As if he could not let go.

Sonny whispered, “You should not have come here.”

No answer.

Then Sonny said softly, “Babe, I can’t breathe.”

Slowly, Vinnie let up. Sonny lifted his head at the same time Vinnie’s head turned. The pale eyes swam. Sonny blinked away a sting in his own and said, “Let’s get this over with and then you can leave.”

As Vinnie gave a slight nod, Sonny’s lips found his and he began to move.

God, this man!

He tasted of coffee and candy. Of smoke and rain. As Sonny began to thrust, their mouths locked tight. Vinnie ran his hands all over his back leaving no surface un-caressed.

Feeling Vinnie against him, silken, hard, stirred him to greater passion and his tempo increased. Vinnie met each and every thrust with willing abandon. His hands crept lower and encased Sonny’s ass, pressing, urging. His legs were flung wide.

Sonny looked down at him. For what he’d done, Vinnie should be dead. And for making him love him too much which even now, in pleasure, still hurt. But Vinnie showing up was huge. Tears of regret as he clung to Sonny…Vinnie was forcing this deal.

Vinnie’s head was thrown back. The dampness on his cheeks made them glow. His hair scattered across the pillow, a black halo. His lightly tanned skin stretched firm and taut over his pecks, his ribs. The muscles of his stomach rippled. Sonny knew this man all too well. This gorgeous human. This beauty in his arms. Skin that tasted of sweet nectar. Scent of earthen dams and autumn air. Stunning in his passion. Cock hard as iron, several shades darker than the rest of his body, too lovely right now to even contemplate. But he did look, assess, admire. It pulsed between them, rigid with wanting. In all his life, Sonny had never felt so desired. He realized with full conscious awareness now this was the one aspect of their relationship Vinnie had never lied about.

He reached between them, touched the hot tumescence. Vinnie groaned, arching up. His stroking palm felt the contractions as Vinnie pulsed, came. Intimately, he knew the taste of him even there from times past, like a musky sea salt and tart at the same time. His insides heated, tightened, shivered. As he stared at the sculpture of this man beneath him the fire inside him grew. The climb of ecstasy rapidly increased until he could no longer draw breath. It crested euphorically, overflowed and suddenly he was sliding into pleasure like he’d never known. Vinnie’s body grasped, clasped, accepted.

Sonny cried out.

Collapsed on top of him now, breathing hard, feeling Vinnie still trying to catch his own breath, Sonny said, “You have to go.” It had to be over with. He couldn’t stand this anymore.

Vinnie said, “I will.”

Neither man moved.

After awhile, knowing he’d lost this fight as well, Sonny drew the covers over them both. Vinnie slept curved against him.

A couple hours later they woke and made love again. It was slower this time, but still painful in its enthralling pleasure.

After, Sonny kissed him on the neck and asked again, “When do you leave?”

“I have a flight in the morning.”

Curiosity rose. “Where are you working this time?”

“Vancouver.”

“For who?”

“Mel Profitt.”

“Christ.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“He’s not like me, Vinnie. When he finds out about you he won’t just try to forget what a major league liar you are, ruthless, duplicitous.”

He heard Vinnie swallow in response. Sonny kissed his neck again, then feeling supremely wicked, asked, “You gonna whore yourself to him too?”

Vinnie moved suddenly, flipping Sonny on his back. Now he was on top, staring down at him with a sickening grimness that made Sonny feel a bit green. “I hate you when you talk like that.”

“I know,” Sonny replied. He forced a smile. Of course Vinnie knew he was goading him on purpose. He let the weight of Vinnie’s body keep him down, did not squirm.

Vinnie’s lips thinned. “Actually,” he said, teeth tight, “it’s his sister Susan I’ve been fucking.”

Letting the words bluster over him as if they were harmless falling leaves, Sonny kept gazing up into his eyes blue as aquamarine, as the Mediterranean in May. Merman eyes.

Incredibly gentle even in his anger. Mesmerizing. Drowning.

“I’ve seen her,” Sonny said. “She’s beautiful.”

“Smart. Formidable.” The sea in Vinnie’s gaze dusked. “But cold,” he said distractedly. “Like being lost in the dark forever.”

“So you came here to warm up?”

“Maybe…”

That answer was as unsatisfying to Sonny as a day without pay. But what did he want? For Vinnie to say he missed him? He couldn’t live without him? He loved him?

Hell, he knew all that already. Now he was only wondering what had taken Vinnie so long to show up on his doorstep.

They slept again, Sonny cradling him against his chest, waking every so often to remind himself this wasn’t a dream. The warmth of Vinnie embraced him. The sleeping Adonis who’d risked all to come back to him for one raw night of kindred reunion.

In the morning, as Vinnie showered, Sonny ordered up the banquet breakfast.

Before he left, Vinnie held him, kissed him, then said, “When can I come by again?”

Sonny huffed air, let go of him. Shrugged. He wasn’t ready yet to put these kinds of decisions into words. But he was already missing him again.

Resolutely, and without another word, Vinnie turned and left.

*

III. Vinnie

 

He knew Frank would eventually find out about his quick and secret trips to Atlantic City in the middle of the most dangerous case of his career. 

White towel wrapped around his hips, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, the glass still a bit fogged from his shower, and said aloud, “I don’t care.”

He stared at the angry red mark on his shoulder, mostly healed now, but it still burned. He lifted his hand, brushed his fingers over it feeling the raised, puckered flesh of the wound.

A man had shot him from a building-top as he walked along the docks with Mel and Susan and Roger and a couple other bodyguards. He was lucky to be alive.

It was Roger who had found out who the shooter was, hunted him down and killed him. The shooter’s name was Aldo Baglia, Sonny’s brother-in-law to be before all hell broke loose at Sonny’s bachelor party. Before Sonny almost died. Before Theresa was arrested for assaulting Frank and the wedding was canceled forever. 

Aldo had been missing ever since that broken day. Vinnie had no paranoia about Sonny where Aldo was concerned. Aldo no longer worked for Sonny. He was confident Sonny had not ordered him to do it.

Still, it was one more piece of his past come back to haunt him.

Today, Frank wanted to meet. Lifeguard had called just this morning. Vinnie had put him off. “Mel’s got me doing too much. I can’t get away right now. How about Thursday morning?” It was Tuesday morning right now.

“Frank’s gonna be pissed.”

“I’m doing the job and doing it well. What’s he got to be pissed about?”

“I’m not sure, kid.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“He said not to let you say ‘no’.”

“Well I can’t get away.”

“Vinnie…”

“I’m sorry, Uncle Mike. What, does he think I’m running around on him or something?” He let out a forced laugh.

The Lifeguard paused. “Vinnie, it’s his job to worry about you…as a boss and a friend.”

That was the moment Vinnie knew Frank suspected something. And now he knew what the meeting would be about. Well, he would see Frank Thursday and that was that. He had two days to think about what he might say…after he got back from Atlantic City.

It was all arranged. He wasn’t going to cancel now. Roger would cover for him. Mel and Susan thought he was going to see his mom for a family thing in New York. He’d be gone overnight, coming back Wednesday night.

Now the guy in the damp mirror looked at him. “You’re a moron,” the man said.

He sighed. Shook his head. He couldn’t disagree with his own pronouncement. But every fiber of his being wanted…needed to see Sonny again. Without Sonny for those first couple of months it felt like he existed in an atmosphere low in oxygen. He was perfectly capable of doing the job in such an atmosphere, but he felt displaced, lost, half a man. Mel’s genius lunacy and Susan’s intelligent enticements barely moved him. He’d gone to bed with Susan because it was convenient. He’d regretted it the moment he was done.

And Roger…well that guy was a piece of work. They’d gotten a little closer after their trip to Georgia to deal with a coke operation Mel had there. But it had been frustrating. Even if they were alike in many areas, Roger was so cold, so exasperating. Vinnie wanted to know him better but it seemed nearly impossible. In Georgia they were thrown into a room together by the family they’d been sent to kill, forced to share bunk beds. Roger had moaned about it like some virgin princess until Vinnie lost control and called him a “homophobe.” Snobby Roger wouldn’t even help with the chores and acted like milking a cow was akin to being unmanned.

Was everyone from Vancouver a nutjob?

He needed to get away. He needed to see Sonny. As strange as it might seem, Sonny was the only foothold on sanity he had at the moment.

Ever since the Rialto, he’d followed Sonny’s progress at the hospital, making phone calls under another name. He’d kept track of him and was relieved when Sonny was finally released and went back to live at the Royal Diamond. The tape of the murder of Patrice had been damaged, and no body was ever found, so Sonny was not to be charged for that. And he’d been given special dispensation not to be prosecuted on any lesser charges…if he kept Vinnie’s undercover identity a secret. He’d agreed.

The first time Vinnie’d gone to see him had been scary, surreal…and wonderful. He couldn’t get that night out of his head…Sonny telling him he had to go but making no move to let him up. They’d made love twice in one night. It was the most despairing and best time he could ever remember.

Now the plan was to meet Sonny again, tonight. This time he’d called ahead. Sonny had tried to sound disinterested when he told him he was coming, but Vinnie could hear the tremble in his voice. “What makes you think I’m inviting you?”

Vinnie had responded with a snide laugh. “I don’t need an invitation.”

“You always do whatever you want.” Sonny’s tone was bleak.

He’d simply replied, “I need to see you.”

A silence on the other end of the line made it a “go.” Vinnie heard the “click” as Sonny hung up, but he didn’t take it personally. Sonny was just having a hard time. Vinnie was the only other person on Earth who could relate.

In the mirror the man in the white towel stared at him again. “You’re an idiot,” he mumbled. “An idiot in love.”

*

Dressed uncharacteristically in a white t-shirt and light gray sweats, Sonny opened the door, looked him up and down (Vinnie himself was wearing his jeans and favorite leather jacket) frowning, then looked at what Vinnie held in his hands. “You brought wine?” He made a face and rolled his eyes. “What do you think this is? A date?”

Vinnie felt himself flush slightly, surprised at his own response because he’d determined on the long flight to the east coast to not let anything Sonny said deter him from his confidence in re-establishing rapport, trust, and intimacy with the one man who’d made him feel truly whole.

“Well, you’re certainly not dressed for a date.” Now he held the bottle out. 

As if it might sting him, Sonny gingerly took it, looked askance at it. After a moment, he took a breath. “Good vintage. Expensive.”

Vinnie glanced away smiling. “You taught me everything I know about grape juice.”

Sonny moved to the side and Vinnie entered the suite. He took off his leather jacket and laid it on the arm of the couch. He watched Sonny go to the bar and uncork the bottle. He did not get out stemware. He didn’t even hesitate. He lifted the bottle to his mouth. Then he walked over to where Vinnie was standing and handed him the bottle.

Vinnie tried not to grin as he took it and upended it into his mouth. Several hundred dollars worth of ‘juice’ disappeared this way as they stood together in Sonny’s living room, side by side, and stared out the plate glass windows at the tawny lights of downtown Atlantic City.

Finally Sonny said, a little huskily, “When are you going to leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“For good?”

Vinnie turned to look at him. “Call your bodyguards if you don’t want me here.”

Sonny tossed the empty wine bottle onto the cushions of his couch. “Ah, the problem is they’re no match for you. And the ensuing fight would mess up this place and I like it the way it is.”

Vinnie turned around surveying the room. “I hate the colors. White. Silver. White. Black. It’s cold.”

“Good. I’ll make sure to get more silver and black stuff.”

Vinnie walked to the window. “Gold. Red. Like fire. Those are your colors.”

“You brought wine. What? Now you want candlelight?”

Vinnie heard Sonny walk up behind him. He could even smell him now, close at his back, the musk of hundred dollar an ounce men’s cologne, the sourness of the wine they’d just consumed, and the overwhelming and ironically sweet scent of his lust. He turned.

Sonny stared up at him, dark eyes all mischief and aglow, but imbued with a depth of sadness that was new. It was the part of Sonny he’d broken. He knew that. And that part, along with all the rest, he gathered into his arms.

Longing arrowed through him, part pain, part rapture. He kissed him gently. Sonny’s arms circled around him and rested against his lower back. When Vinnie pulled back he saw that Sonny’s lips glistened slightly. His eyes were dazed. Vinnie said softly, “Yeah I want candlelight. I want everything.”

Sonny’s smile was downright sardonic. “I gave you everything.”

Vinnie swallowed against the salt sting in his throat and eyes. “I know that.”

Breathily, “Everything I have to give. You want more?”

Vinnie nodded.

Sonny’s eyes closed. He took a deep breath. His hands still rested against Vinnie’s hips. Then he leaned his head against Vinnie’s chest, took another deep breath. Vinnie’s hand rose to cup the back of his neck. His fingers touched the dark hair at Sonny’s nape, petting the soft fringe. Sonny whispered into his shirt. “Tell you what. You can have the candles. We’ll set the fucking bedroom on fire. But I’m keeping my casino.” The last sentence came out with a hiss.

Vinnie pulled back. “You’re not gonna re-name it after me?”

Sonny reached up and gave him a small smack to his jaw. “I’ll name the fucking cockroaches in the basement after you. How ‘bout that?”

Vinnie pressed his lips tight, pretending to think about it, then said, “Deal.”

This was what he’d been missing. Their easy rapport. The instant understanding even if it was tainted with past bitterness. This was sanity for him. It grounded him. Because right now Sonny was the only real thing in his life. Mel, Susan and Roger…it was like a nightmare. The CIA goons who tried to take over the case appeared to have merely room temperature I.Q.s and Frank was dogging him as if Vinnie were a five year old child.

Sonny. That was what mattered to him. Even through the tension, the hurt, the lingering hesitancy of a new trust, Sonny burned in him like a twin heart, his autumn soul afire.

In the bedroom they undressed each other, taking their time. The dimness was relaxing, a softness of shadows enveloping them. Sonny lay alongside Vinnie, head propped on one arm. The half-light might’ve been peaceful, kind even, but it didn’t hide everything. Immediately Sonny’s gaze went to the scar on Vinnie’s shoulder, a raised, ugly red circle on his skin.

“Christ, Vinnie. That looks like a bullet wound!”

“It is.”

“What the fuck?” He reached out. Vinnie flinched slightly as fingertips slid over the bumpy surface.

“Aldo.”

“Baglia?”

Vinnie nodded.

“How’d he find you?”

“I don’t know. He’s dead now.”

Sonny didn’t seem too sad about that. In fact, he had no reaction. “Last I heard he was doing some freelance for Mahoney.”

“Yeah well he probably thought he’d be doing you guys a favor by whacking me.”

“I would never have sanctioned that.”

Vinnie blinked at him. “I know.”

“Nope. That delicious job I woulda kept for myself.”

Vinnie reached for him. “Shut up.”

“Yeah.” Voice lowering, “Too much talk.”

Their bodies met. Their lips. Sonny took his time with him, kissing him thoroughly, stroking his face, his arms, his chest. He pushed Vinnie flat then followed his hands with his mouth, his tongue. Every time Vinnie tried to reach for him, caress him, Sonny would say, “Just lie back. Just…”

Vinnie obeyed, feeling those warm hands, that hot mouth and losing himself in sheer luxury and delight. It was not strange, really, just Sonny giving again. Giving him everything.

Sonny pressed his lips to the scar at Vinnie’s shoulder. Ironically, Sonny had a shoulder scar, too, also from a bullet wound. Now they matched.

Sonny’s hands were all over him, the smooth palms of a negotiator, a corporate president, an investor. Sonny could fight like the best of them, but mostly he had people to do that for him. He wasn’t soft himself, no…he was muscular, fine-edged, slim and hot blooded, but when he touched Vinnie it was warm and silken, pressure in all the right places, kisses that sent him reeling.

His hands swept over Vinnie’s hips, his mouth moving along ribs, belly, licking a hot path. He avoided Vinnie’s cock, opting instead to caress his open thighs, slide his hands underneath and squeeze the globes of Vinnie’s ass. His mouth kissed and licked his thighs until they were slick.

Vinnie kept lifting his head, then throwing it back onto the pillows. He could not contain his moans, his bliss, his ecstasy. Then the hot mouth descended and he felt delicate feather licks against his balls.

“Aaaahhhck!”

The licks stopped. Sonny said, “Is that a word?”

All Vinnie could manage was, “Uh huh.”

Sonny went back to work, sucking on his balls until they were good and wet. It was unbelievably arousing and he thought he might come from just that.

Sonny concentrated there for a long time. Finally he came up for air, moving over Vinnie and licking lightly at his stomach, his hipbones. Vinnie’s cock lay hard against his abdomen and Sonny licked all the way around it without ever touching it. He felt himself twitch, his erection arcing and coming up tighter away from his flexing stomach. The fire in his center increased. It was so strong it felt like it might never be quenched.

Placing a hand against his balls and lightly skimming them with his fingertips, Sonny lowered his head down finally, flicking his tongue at the head of Vinnie’s cock. It jumped. He did it again.

Vinnie threw an arm across his face as he cried out.

Slowly, the warm mouth encased him, gently sucking him in.

Now all that existed for Vinnie was this storm of ravishment, this lightning of pleasure.

He never wanted Sonny to stop.

He wanted to come this way.

Sonny automatically seemed to sense that.

Vinnie’s body trembled as he sucked harder.

For a long time there was a scintillating brightness, an arena of stars and gold rain like the love of a season encompassing him, enfolding him, comforting him. He knew only awareness and the enlightenment of being; nothing else was real. Sonny was with him. Sonny was doing this for him, to him, reaching inside and touching all that he was, tickling that essence, moving himself through and around it, bringing it close, worshipping it.

When Vinnie let go it was as if something broke and was instantly repaired better than before, and the heights of ecstasy locked onto his body, his breath, his soul. It was a long time before he came down to Earth again.

Sonny was staring at him with a half-bemused smile.

Vinnie breathed out just one word. “Sonny!”

When it came to this guy, everything in Vinnie’s mind…old beliefs, convictions, ideals, identities went right out the window. He never tried to explain to himself why. It just was the way it was, like air.

Sonny came into his arms warm and strong, like a wind with an edge to it, and began kissing him again. He knew it was the same for him. There was no “why” or “how.” It had nothing to do with right, wrong, cop, kingpin. Simply, they could not stop feeling what they were feeling.

He felt Sonny’s erection pressed tight against him, the moistness of his excitement, his generosity and, yes, his love. Slowly he pushed him over and began his own exploration of that eager, golden body.

Sonny squirmed and trembled and moaned. His chest heaved with rumbles of approval. His knees bent. His cock was dark with the flush of pleasure, quivering, swaying. Vinnie looked up at his face as he stroked him; Sonny’s eyes were shut, the lashes squeezed into two dark lines on his face. His bangs fell forward, slightly sweat-glossed. His mouth was open, the pink lips damp and parted slightly as he forced breath in and out. The skin from shoulders to abdomen was smooth, nearly hairless, the erect nipples a shade more tan than the rest of him. Vinnie lowered his head and tongue-teased one nipple, then the other. He kept his hand on Sonny’s cock, stroking gently. Sonny seemed to like that a lot.

He loved everything about what he was doing, taste, touch, scent. He loved the sounds Sonny made. He loved the way his body glowed with that thin sheen of sweat that came from their lovemaking.

Finally, he moved lower and got down to business taking that lovely hard cock into his mouth, working it with his tongue, sucking it deep. Sonny bucked once, then settled down as Vinnie moved and suckled just the way he knew Sonny loved it. He was expert at bringing Sonny off, but he made it last.

When Sonny came the noises he made conveyed to Vinnie that he’d done a very decent job.

Both drained to exhaustion, they rested in each other’s arms. Dozed. The world had shrunk to that room, that bed and the two of them. Nothing else was real for that time. Nothing else mattered.

Finally, their bodies curved, turned, got comfortable. Covers were drawn up. They slept.

Just before dawn, Vinnie turned over in the bed and opened his eyes. Sonny was awake and their gazes met.

Sonny said softly, “When you have time off or aren’t working a job, you’ll come stay here, right?”

Vinnie’s eyebrows rose. He ran a hand across his sleepy eyes just to make sure he was awake. The room remained. Sonny did not dissolve into a dream. He replied, “It’ll be like coming home…”

Sonny’s arm came up. He placed his palm alongside Vinnie’s face, leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

*

It was hard to leave but he pretended otherwise. He didn’t linger. He had a flight to catch. But before he walked out the door Sonny put his hand on his uninjured shoulder, turning him. “Be careful,” he said when Vinnie looked at him.

Vinnie touched his wrist, pressing it against his shoulder, nodded, then turned and left.

The flight was smooth and quick. He gained three hours on the way back so it wasn’t too late when the plane landed. His plan was to take a taxi back to Mel’s. He still had no idea what he was going to say to Frank.

As he walked through the terminal toward the groups of people waiting to greet passengers from his flight he saw an all too familiar face and froze in mid-step.

Frank had seen him first. They stood staring at each other. Then Vinnie sighed and moved forward. When they came together, Vinnie said, “How’d you find me?”

Frank said, “Ya know, I’ve been doing this for a living for over 20 years, sportshoes.”

Vinnie shrugged. There was really nothing he could say to that.

Frank glanced in the direction of the airport bar. “Come on. We can talk there. It’s safe.”

Vinnie followed him to a booth. They sat.

“What’s up, Frank?”

“You tell me.”

The waiter came over and Frank ordered iced tea. Vinnie ordered water.

“Well, you’ve been doing this job for over 20 years. I figure you already know.”

“Okay. You’ve been seen at the Royal Diamond.” He paused as if to let that sink in. “And as of today, more than once.”

Vinnie crossed his arms and stared into the oversized lenses of Frank’s glasses. They reflected blue and amber and green from the airport bar lighting.

Frank said, “What are you doing?”

“I had some loose ends…”

“Loose ends that you didn’t tell me or the Lifeguard about?”

Vinnie said, “Loose ends I didn’t tell anybody about.”

Frank put his elbows on the table and leaned into his upturned palm. “Steelgrave….” He said with half sarcasm, half hiss.

Hesitant, Vinnie said, “I needed to know how he was doing.”

Frank looked up. “How he’s doing? He wants you dead, Vinnie. That’s how he’s doing. He’s only kept quiet because of the deal we gave him.”

Vinnie glanced away. “Past a certain point, Frank, some things in my life are none of your business.”

“Sonny Steelgrave is…was my business!”

“And now he’s not.”

Frank put his head down again. Their drinks came. Neither man touched them.

For awhile, Frank rested in his up-turned palms. Then he lifted his head, fiddled with his napkin, then his tie. He would not look at Vinnie. Vinnie just sat and waited. It was all he could do.

Finally Frank said, “Are you going to see him again?”

Vinnie leaned forward slightly, took a half breath, held it. “Frank, Sonny’s legit now. The casino is legit. It’s all he has left. That’s it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I know.”

“So, maybe I should re-phrase. When are you going to see him again?”

“When I’m not working, all the time.”

Frank’s brows narrowed.

“Frank…I’m going to be living there.”

There was another uncomfortable silence before Frank spoke again. “It’s irregular. But not illegal.” He sighed loudly. Now he met Vinnie’s eyes. “It’s not like I didn’t suspect you two were, well, very close, but…”

Vinnie felt a slight shock quiver through his body. “You knew?”

“No. Not exactly. But you aren’t that hard for me to read, Vince. You were very connected to him emotionally. Anyone could see that.”

Vinnie took a deep breath now. “Okay, then you get it.”

“It’s just gonna make life at the OCB a lot more complicated, that’s all. But I’ll do what I can to keep this as low profile as possible. Who you’re with on your own time really is your own business.”

“Wow, Frank. I didn’t know you’d react like this.”

Now Frank actually looked hurt. “Did you think I wouldn’t support you, Vince? That I’m not on your side? Sport, we have to work together. We can’t have anything get in the way of that. Even if I don’t care for some of your decisions, I’m with you. You’ve proven you’re worth it. So do us both a favor, stop beating yourself up and get back to work. I just needed to know the truth.”

Vinnie just sat there. He couldn’t speak. The lump in his throat was too big.

After awhile, Frank said casually, “You love him.”

Vinnie gave a short nod.

“That’s good enough for me, I guess.” He stood then. “I’m gonna get going.” As he passed by Vinnie, he reached out and squeezed his shoulder once, then walked away.

Vinnie reached for his water. His hands were shaking. He took a sip, forced himself to relax, reflect. For the first time since meeting Frank, Vinnie finally and fully realized what a good man he was. He was lucky to have him for a boss. A friend. Until this meet, he hadn’t realized how heavy a weight he’d been carrying with this secret. In only minutes Frank had relieved that weight.

After a few moments he stood up, threw some money on the table, and walked out of the airport. As he hailed a taxi for the trip back to Mel’s, he realized he was returning to his job with a lighter feeling and more self-worth than he’d experienced in months.

He was going to get to keep his job. He was going to get to keep Sonny.

Life was not so dark anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this work by Natasha Solten, you may also enjoy her m/m romances on Kindle under her non-fanfic name: Wendy Rathbone. Look for "The Foundling," "The Secret Sharer" and the soon to be released "None Can Hold the Dark" (due in fall 2013.) She also has an sf novel out, and a collection of poetry.


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